After losing hundred of dollars on cheap and some not so cheap gimbal heads and never being happy I found the PMG katana JR it is IMO by for the best gimbal i have own out there!! I have used it in all kinds of conditions from - 48 in Yellowstone with no freezing up to the hot salty climate here on south Texas beaches and never a problem!!!! The only time I had a problem was on a trip to Yellowstone for the elk run. TSA dropped my Katana JR and broke off one of the knobs locking it up. Once i opened up my gearbox and saw my gimbal broke in two pieces I figured my trip was going to be a ruff one. Being I was shoot a 1DXMKll with a 600F4ISll a pretty heavy rig. So I called up PMG and spoke with Tom one of the owners. I told him my problem and he ask if i had any tools to work on it which I didn't. Tom said he would go over night the part and the tools I needed to fix my gimbal and he would personally drive them down to the shipping company so that he knew everything would get to me. Well the next day everything showed up the parts and tools that I needed to fix my gimbal saving my trip!!!!!! Not many companies were you can call up with a problem, have the owner answer and then have him go out of his way to make sure you are taken care of even when the problem wasn't his fault. But Tom at Promediagear did just that and saved my trip!!!!!!!!!
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ProMediaGear GKJr Katana Pro Gimbal Head extremely well engineered. The performance is outstanding. Highly recommend this gimbal to anyone looking for a quality product built to guarantee professional results.

Very smooth, milled aluminum, strong, pricey.

Solid professional quality Gimbal Head.

"This is not my first gimbal". Please allow me to say this is my last. I have tried almost all other gimbals on the market. None can even compare in anyway to this high end gimbal.
If you try this product you will also understand completely.
Thank you, Pro Media gear for engineering this product. Excellent.

This mates a Canon EF 500mm f/4L II to a monopod, for birding. It replaced an Induro GHB1 that I used for more than five years, until the smoothness of the tilt function deteriorated. Sealed ball bearings in the GKJr. should fix that forever. Couldn't be more pleased by the fit, finish, and feel of this mechanism.

Easy to use, light and durable.
I became a fan of ProMedia Gear.
Next time I want a tripod.

This is the only gimbal head I own, but I have compared it to a friend's Wimberly which seems to be the top gimbal out there. Here are my observations:

1. It is well built with a very nice finish & quality feel.
2. Operation is super smooth and it pivots and pans effortlessly. Better than the Wimberly IMO.
3. The knobs allow a good range of adjustment to dial in the perfect amount of tension to allow movement in any direction while holding your camera in position if you let go. More range of tension adjustment than the Wimberly IMO.
4. Price is much lower then Wimberly (even if opting for the more expensive version with the full bird swing.
5. Weighs almost a full pound less than the Wimberly.
6. Slightly smaller due to angular design vs. the curved design of the Wimberly.
7. When you tighten either tension knob for a lockdown shot, it changes your framing a bit. So you have to try and move it to compensate while tightening. This could be annoying and the only drawback to this head that I see. The Wimberly does not do this.

So the only negative I see is when doing a lockdown shot. It isn't a big deal to me since the whole point of a head like this is to have freedom to move quickly. Most people use a head like this for action such as sports or wildlife in which case you wouldn't usually tighten it down. And when you dial in the right tension, it stays put even when not locked down. But it could be an issue if shooting in windy conditions or if getting perfect, precise framing is needed.

Another note - I opted for this cheaper version without the full bird swing. I like that it pivots right on the central axis of my setup vs swinging towards or away from me. Just a personal preference.

I had my reservations about the side mount, but I love it! Movement feels so much more fluid when tracking wildlife. I definitely recommend this brand and model to anyone looking for an optimal gimbal.

I was using a ball mount for my D850 with Sigma 150-600, but never again. This GKJr. Katana Pro is much better. It's steady. It's smooth up and down. It's smooth left and right. It locks the camera and lens securely. I love it!